Beyond Duty

by Stanalei Fletcher

  “She was a very brave girl to step in and save a stranger.”

  “I thought so.” She smiled at the warm memory. “Julia and I became inseparable after that. We finished grade school and junior high, then started high school together. She was the best friend I’d ever had.”

  “Was?”

  “Dad got a new posting and we moved right after my sophomore year.”

  “But you kept in touch. Right?”

  “We did. I’m sure you know that social media is a girl’s best friend. Even more so now than it was a few years ago. Julia’s e-mails started mentioning a new boyfriend. After a while, the e-mails became less frequent. Then stopped altogether.”

  “Were you able to figure out what happened?”

  Chip bit the corner of her lip. “Not for a while. My senior year, I got a call from her mother. Julia had gotten involved in drugs and wasn’t herself. She’d run away from home with this boy. Her mom wanted to know if I’d heard from her or knew where she might be.”

  “But you hadn’t.”

  “Not a word.” Chip’s throat tightened with tears. She swallowed them down.

  “That must have been hard.”

  She nodded. It had broken her heart to know Julia was out in the big, ugly world alone, doing things she never would have done if Chip had stayed close to her.

  “You can’t blame yourself.” Riley broke into her thoughts.

  “It’s hard not to.” She buried the regret. “But I had to move on. I got involved in ROTC at my new school. Signed up for early enlistment. I was doing everything I could to stay busy. Once I was on my own, I was going to search for Julia and try to reconnect with her.”

  “What happened to change that?”

  “I got a phone call that Julia was in the hospital—dying from a botched abortion. I got there as quick as I could.” She swallowed again, tears close to the surface. “She told me she’d tried to get out of the drug scene, but kept getting pulled back into it. She wished she could have found help to get her off the streets.”

  ****

  A piece of the “Chip” puzzle fell into place for Riley. “That’s why you help runaway teenagers.”

  She nodded. “I’d already committed to joining the Army, but instead of going full-time, I opted for the reserves. Changed my MOS to military police and intelligence.”

  “MOS?” He’d heard the term, but wasn’t quite clear on what it meant.

  “Military Occupational Specialty. The specialized training a recruit selects when entering the service. I also got my college degree in criminal law, with a minor in child psychology. Because of Julia, I’m committed to helping as many youths as I can.”

  “And because of Fiona, you have a place to take them when they choose to get off the streets.”

  “Yes.” She gave a small sigh as she continued to gaze out the window at the passing landscape.

  With her explanation, Riley had a sense of why Chip slipped into the Mary persona when searching for runaways. Her actions, her fierce protectiveness all made sense now. He viewed his partner with new appreciation for her commitment to find Fiona. He just hoped they would be able to get to the senator’s wife in time.

  He glanced at the GPS and saw they had arrived at the location Northstar had given. “This is the place.”

  The drive had brought them to the Valle Caldera National Preserve, an expansive valley area between the resort and Los Alamos that offered an amazing meadowland surrounded by a forest of pine. They’d already passed it twice, going to and coming from the hospital.

  He looked over the area with an evaluating gaze. There wasn’t a tree line close enough to set up an ambush, or lie in wait for the kidnapper to appear. “This is run by the National Park Service. It’s a lousy place for a meet.”

  “A sniper’s nest will be impossible to set up.” Chip was obviously following the same line of thought. “Even if we could get guns on the preserve.”

  “If the meet is on the preserve, we’ll be exposed from all angles.”

  “So will the kidnapper.” She pointed out. “What is he planning by asking to meet here?”

  “I wish I knew.” He looked at his watch. “The drive took thirty minutes. It’s still daylight, but in another three hours it will be dusk.”

  “That time of day will work in his favor.” She angled her head to look up at the sky. “Enough light to see up close, and not dark enough to require lights and create a target.”

  “It’s like he’s done this before.”

  “I’m having a hard time picturing Pomeroy or Weston as battlefield strategists.” She straightened in her seat and glanced at him. “I’m beginning to wonder if someone else is calling the shots.”

  “Me too.” Riley put the SUV in gear and turned it around. “Let’s get back and grab lunch before we see if Northstar has turned up anything more on who’s behind this setup.”

  ****

  After their conversation during the drive, Riley couldn’t help but notice how strained and silent their lunch was. Other dining room patrons paid little attention to them sitting in the back corner, barely speaking or looking at each other. He sat with his back to the far wall and scanned the room with assessing eyes before bringing his gaze to linger on Chip’s face. The more he was around her, the more fascinating he found her. He wondered if she had any idea how great an agent she’d make for his firm.

  As if feeling his stare, she lifted her gaze to meet his. “I feel like we’re wasting time sitting here.”

  “We need to eat while we can.” Riley took a drink of his water. “We can’t go into this meeting starving and distracted.”

  “I know. But I wish the waiter would hurry.”

  “Relax.” He silently admonished himself to do the same. “It’s only been a few minutes. We’ll be back in the cabin in no time.”

  She took a long drink of water, then put the glass down and ran a finger over the sweating side. “I owe you an apology.”

  He raised a questioning brow. “For what?”

  “I was churlish and uncooperative when we met at the briefing.” She took another sip of water. “I’m not normally like that.”

  He recalled what his father said about Chip reminding him of Riley’s mother. And he was starting to see similarities himself. Maybe that wasn’t such a good thing considering his fascination with this woman.

  “I’m as much to blame as you.” He picked up the knife next to his plate and tested the sharpness of the serrated edge, mostly out of habit. “Seeing you in the conference room surprised me. You’re not totally responsible for our bad beginning.”

  Her shoulders relaxed as though the olive branch she’d offered was truly accepted.

  “We got off on the wrong foot. Maybe we could start again.” He extended a hand across the table. “Hello, my name is Riley O’Neal.”

  Chip cautiously took his hand and he braced for the flash of contact he expected to feel.

  “Pleased to meet you. My name is Chip—” She hesitated briefly and smiled. “I’m Mrs. Chip O’Neal.”

  The way she announced her name affected him in a surprising way and he couldn’t help holding her hand a bit longer, but he recovered quickly and joined the game.

  “Do you come here often, Mrs. O’Neal?” He put a slight emphasis on her name.

  “No, this is my first visit. What about you?”

  ****

  Chip savored the warmth of her palm in Riley’s as he jumped right into the spirit of the get-to-know-you game. And she missed it when he let go as the food arrived.

  “I have to admit I was impressed with the DVD collection back at your apartment.” He slid a pickle to the side of his plate with a fork. “I’ve never forgotten that take-down last year. Which martial art did you train in?”

  She took a bite of her salad as heat warmed her cheeks. Of course he would bring up that incident. She pushed down her embarrassment and owned up to her part in that disastrous first meeting. After swallowing her food, she said
, “I started my training in Wado-ryu karate, but switched to Tae Kwon Do.”

  “Why did you switch?” Riley took a bite of his sandwich.

  “Wado-ryu wasn’t always available where my father was posted. Tae Kwon Do was taught on most of the posts, or there were schools close by. I found the training more consistent and easier to keep my rank as we moved around.”

  “And what is your rank?”

  Embarrassment heated her face again, but she lifted her chin as she answered. “I hold a second degree black belt.”

  “That’s a lot of training.”

  She nodded and wiped the corner of her mouth. “It’s an assistant instructor level in many styles, nothing more.”

  “Don’t shortchange yourself. It takes dedication and commitment to achieve that rank. Especially if you couldn’t train consistently.”

  “Thank you.” She lowered her eyes, unused to compliments about her training. “I made it work. Once I reached a certain level, most of the training was up to me, not my instructors. If a person is dedicated enough, they can train anywhere.”

  “Do you do anything else in your free time?” He picked up the other half of his sandwich.

  “I like to hike,” she admitted. “It’s a shame to come all this way and not try out some of the trails the resort offers. This is beautiful country.”

  “I thought the same thing when I checked out the location.”

  Chip put down her fork and leaned toward him. “Maybe when this is over we could—” She broke off the thought and straightened. “What am I thinking? We’ll have tons of paperwork.”

  “Probably.” He mumbled around a bite with a chuckle. “Like you, I have after-action reports to write up following a case.” He leaned in. “I’ll take a rain check on the hike, though.” His eyes glittered in the dim light of the restaurant.

  “Deal.” Her voice whispered across the table between them. He leaned closer and she seemed to gravitate toward him. Her heart thundered at the recollection of his kiss and the anticipation of tasting it again.

  “More coffee, sir?” The waiter appeared with a coffee pot in hand, breaking the spell. Riley declined and slid his chair from the table.

  Hiding her disappointment, Chip took the cue and placed her napkin on her plate. “We should get back.”

  “I agree.” He stood and tossed some bills on the table, ending the intimate moment.

  Chapter Twelve

  Riley stepped beside Chip as they walked from the restaurant. In keeping with their pretend marriage, he draped a possessive arm around her shoulders. He wondered if she realized how well she fit beside him. Without even trying, she’d surpassed the seduction attempts of any woman he’d ever dated. Gooseflesh alternated with a rush of heat as he stroked her arm, making him uncomfortable, but he didn’t stop, and he didn’t step away with other patrons and staff watching them. Their cover had to remain intact, or at least that was what he told himself as he pulled her a little closer.

  As they headed toward their cabin, his gaze strayed to the sky. Rain clouds were gathering for an afternoon thunderstorm and partially obscured the sun. The unsettled skies reflected Riley’s mood. He was worried that whatever plan they came up with, it wouldn’t be good enough to save Fiona.

  Although he and Chip seemed to have formed a truce, there was something else floating under the surface that felt unresolved. He couldn’t quite put his finger on it. It was definitely something more than a physical attraction he could no longer deny. The thought of being alone in the cabin with her made him wonder which tempest would be greater—the tension as they worked out the details on the upcoming exchange, or the storm outside?

  And what if they didn’t argue? What if they actually got along? That thought was way too intimate. If he didn’t create some distance, both physically and emotionally, he’d be a wreck by the end of the afternoon.

  Riley unlocked the cabin door and held it open for her to precede him inside. She slipped into the bathroom, while he phoned Northstar to get an update. When she came out, Riley was still on the phone and looking at satellite images on his laptop.

  “Do we have a plan?” She slid into a chair. She’d washed up and changed into her white blouse and a pair of clean jeans.

  He held up a finger for her to hold a moment, and returned to his conversation. “Okay. We’ll be ready.” He thumbed off the device and looked at Chip. “We have a plan.”

  “What is it?” She lifted an eyebrow as she re-braided her hair.

  Riley pushed his laptop to the side of the table. He wasn’t happy about the conversation with Byron, or that the kidnapper may realize he was about to be double-crossed, but it was all they had to work with for the time allowed.

  What he liked even less was Chip’s role in the exchange. But she was a trained soldier and understood risks. Of course, with her looks and small stature, she’d be seen as less of a threat, and that might make this setup work.

  He held up a USB drive. “I know it doesn’t look like much, but we’ve downloaded the software for the surveillance tech onto this.”

  “He isn’t getting the actual drones?”

  “That was the compromise,” Riley answered. “Mrs. Burnsworth is returned unharmed first. Then he’ll get the hardware.”

  Chip looked confused. “That doesn’t make any sense. Why would the kidnapper agree to that? He holds all the cards.”

  “No, he doesn’t.” That was the one aspect of this plan that gave Riley a hope of success. “He knows we’re on to him. The senator is offering the software and a guarantee no criminal charges will be pressed, in exchange for Fiona’s safe return, as long as he leaves the country.”

  “Andrew doesn’t even know for sure who he’s dealing with. How can he make promises like that?”

  “I don’t know. But, he’s convinced there are high-level drug dealers involved, maybe even a cartel. The part that isn’t making any sense is that no cartel has ever attempted anything like this inside the U.S. They’ve always stayed on their side of the border and hired others to work in the United States. If it is a cartel, Byron and the senator think they’ll take the deal so they can return to the anonymity of their country.”

  “Sounds too easy to me.”

  “Good plans are easy. Less to screw up.” Riley pulled the laptop back in front of him. “Let’s go over this before we have to leave.”

  He leaned against her shoulder and positioned the computer so she could see it better. Her breath whispered across his jaw, sending a cascade of want through him. Remain professional. Keep your mind on the assignment. “The recon team will be out of sight, but ready to storm in at the first sign of trouble.” He kept his words all business, but her nearness stirred dormant embers in his chest, making it difficult to concentrate on the satellite images and where they planned to position the troops. Then he caught a whiff of her elusive fragrance. It had to be her shampoo or soap. The scent was too light for perfume.

  She pointed at the display on the screen showing the meadow and the gap between the tree line. “Even if we could get a sniper on the Preserve, it’ll take a crack shot to hit a target. It’s at least three miles across that valley.” She lifted her chin, moving the side of her head close to his arm as she squinted at the monitor.

  Her fragrance assaulted his senses. The temptation to slide his fingers across the curve of her cheek to her temple was overwhelming. She was his partner—one he hadn’t wanted at first, but his partner nonetheless. Thoughts of national security vanished as he toyed with the idea of pulling her into his arms to sample a taste of her lips again. Not for show this time, but for himself.

  When he didn’t answer her, Chip looked over at him. “Riley?”

  Raw desire flared through him. He leaned closer.

  Her tongue flicked along her lips, making them glisten with moisture. He angled his head and pressed his mouth to hers, too late for second thoughts. Cradling her face in his hands, he slid closer.

  His tongue slid over the crease of
her mouth demanding entry and, with a sigh, she yielded under the pressure of his kiss. Their tongues tangled, and he tasted the tang of spearmint toothpaste. His arms and legs grew sluggish as the kiss generated an ache that reached all the way through him. This time he drank from the pool in the oasis, quenching his thirst, unconcerned about anything else but her sweet, sweet surrender.

  ****

  Chip gave herself to the kiss. Not one for show, but for real. The sparks between her and Riley finally split the barrier—the wall she tried to hide behind. She reached for him, burying her fingers in his shirt, pulling him closer. At the gang house, she’d been drawn to him, unable to purge him from her mind long after that night. Now she gave in to those late night fantasies.

  The unrelenting kiss swirled in chaos. It was a homecoming and at the same time, a plunge into an unknown abyss. She drowned in the sensations and thirsted for more. How simple this was, how right it felt with him. He gathered her closer and she scooted to the edge of her chair, unwilling to break contact.

  Wait! What was she doing? They weren’t here to make this fake marriage a reality. They had a life to save. She balled her hands and pushed against his shoulders. As she broke free, oxygen rushed into her burning lungs.

  Riley reached for her again, nearly catching her before she bounded to her feet. She rushed to the other end of the room to put as much distance between them as she could.

  “Chip.” His voice was thick with desire.

  She couldn’t answer. She was still catching her breath. Without a word, she turned her back and began searching through her duffel, and pulled out a smaller bag.

  “Where are you going?” Riley demanded.

  “Out.” She had to get away.

  “Why?”

  “We can’t do this. I can’t—”

  “Wait a minute.”

  “No. I can’t.” Chip ran from the cabin, slamming the door behind her.